About Martha Stowe (Metcalf)

From "The Great Migration Newsletter," Vol. 15, 17 Dec 2007 [4]

In 1852 Luther Metcalf Harris, in his genealogy of the family of MICHAEL METCALFE 1637, Dedham [NEHGR 6:173], stated that the immigrant's daughter married three times, to "Wm. Brignall," then to "Christopher Smith" (with apparent date of marriage of 2 August 1654), and finally to "[blank] Stow." This same claim has appeared in some form in many subsequent secondary sources, including the two leading treatments of the family of John Stow [Stevens-Miller Anc 455; Kempton Anc 3:347]. In his will of 15 November 1664, Michael Metcalfe included bequests to "my daughter Stow" and "my daughter Stowe's eldest son which she had by her first husband, W[illia]m Brignall" [SPR 1:440-41].

When Nathaniel Stow married his second wife at Concord on 20 August 1662, her name was given as "Martha Bignell" [CoVR 11]. If she had been married to Christopher Smith between her marriages to Bignall and Stow, her name at marriage to the latter should have been Martha Smith. William Bignall (or Bicknall) died at Charlestown about June of 1659 [ChVR 1:38; Wyman 81].

"Christopher Smith & Mary [or Martha] Metcalfe was married the 2 of the 6 month" 1654 at Dedham [DeVR 1:127 (the uncertainty as to the bride's given name is in the published vital records volume)]. Martha Metcalfe, daughter of the immigrant, was still married to William Bignall at this time. Michael Metcalfe, son of the immigrant, had died at Dedham on 25 March 1654 [DeVR 128], leaving his widow, Mary (Fairbanks) Metcalfe, available to marry Christopher Smith later in 1654. Martha Metcalfe, daughter of the immigrant, had only two husbands, William Bignall and Nathaniel Stow.